Established in 2008, the Integrated Respiratory Service has been fundamental in helping more people get support for their breathing conditions.

Diagnostic tests like spirometry and sleep studies are now able to be done in the community, closer to people in their homes, not just in the hospital. 

Better Breathing Pulmonary Rehabilitation is the only evidence-based intervention available for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) and the community respiratory team deliver nine programmes a year throughout the region.

Community support and exercise groups are there to maintain exercise goals, and to remain connected with other people with similar conditions.

The Better Breathing Consumer Group represent the Better Breathing programmes and support groups and contribute to the development of new services and patient materials.

Specialist respiratory nurses and physicians are available to support general practice teams and community providers to look after their respiratory patients.

The Integrated Respiratory Service is overseen by the Integrated Respiratory Service Development Group (IRSDG), which includes representatives from consumers, Māori, Pasifika, general practice, community pharmacy, hospital and district nursing.

The Day 2 Project sees people who have been admitted to hospital with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) given a full assessment which considers the physical, emotional, social and environmental factors linked to their condition. This helps those involved in their care make connections with appropriate services and resources on their discharge from hospital.

Hospital stays for people with COPD can last as little as three days, so this assessment will be carried out from the second day to fit around clinical activity.

The 12-month project, which started in June 2021, is led by a steering group of which half of the members are consumers with lived experience of COPD, working alongside clinicians to develop the new model. The project uses the partnership in design approach, putting people and whānau at the centre of the design of ā tātou (our own) health system and services.

The steering group will work with organisations outside of health that can influence the social factors that impact lung health, such as housing and access to nutritious foods and physical activity opportunities. The goal is to reduce the overall admission of people with COPD into hospital by 20 per cent, and readmissions from 20% to 12%.